


Challenge

by Michael Alexander (MistressOakdown)



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: Babies. All of them, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 19:14:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21543724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistressOakdown/pseuds/Michael%20Alexander
Summary: Prompt: You know that game where you take your s/o and sit with your faces really close together, and you see who breaks and kisses the other first? Yeah. It’s that.
Relationships: The Master (Ainley)/Reader
Kudos: 39





	Challenge

There were several places that Y/N could’ve expected to end up today. With the way The Doctor piloted his ship, she could’ve ended up at the bottom of the ocean, the moon, halfway across the universe, anywhere. However, her current position was most certainly not one she expected to find herself in. She’d only stepped out of the TARDIS for a second, needing a break from the warm air that had generated from The Doctor’s meddling with the console. That was all it took for Y/N to be grabbed by the arm and yanked into a stone pillar that had materialized next to the police box, and another second was all that was needed for the said pillar to disappear from the box’s side, rematerializing in space.

The person that had grabbed her let her go the moment she was inside, but she didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. She stayed facing the doors, trying to fight the terrible feeling in her stomach. She heard him flipping levers and pressing buttons, flying his ship with expertise that The Doctor either didn’t use or didn’t have. The clicking and beeps soon came to a halt, and she could feel him staring at the back of her head. She refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing the fear on her face.

“Are you not going to say hello?” The man asked, his deep voice startling her slightly. She kept staring ahead, not responding. She heard him sigh.

“Well if you’re going to be like that, I could always take you back,” he suggested, and the confusion that flooded her mind was enough to prompt her to turn around and face him.

“You just kidnapped me! Why would you taking me back be a threat?” She asked, exasperation in her voice. Strangely, he looked almost hurt.

“I didn’t mean for it to be a threat, my dear. You stepped out of the TARDIS into an alley that I happen to know had a very drunk and very unfriendly man in it. I saw him start heading toward you the second you stepped out of The Doctor’s ship. I wasn't…” he trailed off.

“What?” She questioned, wanting to know what the end of that phrase was.

“I wasn’t going to let you get hurt, and you wouldn’t have had time to get The Doctor’s attention for him to let you back in.” He finished explaining, looking down at the ground. “I’ll take you home.”

He didn’t even manage to flip a switch before she was by his side, grabbing his arm to keep him from doing anything. He looked up at her, confusion written across his features.

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why would you save me? You’ve… you’ve tried to _kill_ me so many times, why would you care?” She asked, her voice taking on an angry tone. How dare he act like he suddenly cares after all he’s put her through? He stood there in front of her for a moment, his piercing blue eyes looking into her upset ones. He almost looked… _sad_. Finally, his expression neutralized into one of indifference.

“Nevermind. It’s not important. I’m taking you back,” he said quickly, going to punch in the coordinates for where they just departed from. Before he got the chance, she squeezed between him and the console, looking up at him. He glared down at her.

“Move.”

“Not until you tell me why you saved me.”

“I don’t know.”

“Yes, you do.”

“I don’t.”

“You care about me.” This caused his eyes to widen with surprise. His shock at her declaration was easy to see, and a smirk formed on her face. He scoffed but didn’t move away, not giving her the satisfaction.

“You’re trying your luck, my dear,” he commented, a hint of threat in his voice.

“Oh yeah? Then prove it.” Y/N quipped back, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

“How would I go about doing that?” He asked, and it was only then that she realized that she didn’t think she was going to get this far, so she honestly had no idea. Her confidence began to fade before she remembered a game she’d heard about in high school. She leaned in close to his face until her lips were only a few inches apart.

“If you can sit here and not kiss me, then I’ll let it go and you win.” His eyes went wider, but quickly bit out a ‘fine’, staring her in the eyes as they both stayed in their positions. Y/N took the opportunity to finally get a good look at The Master’s face. It was a bit hard to really pay attention to him when The Doctor was constantly putting as much distance between the two of them as possible. The first thing she noticed was his eyes. They were ice blue, almost grey, and held… pain. She could feel it, _sense_ it. She’d felt it before, the way he’d plead with The Doctor to join him, the desperation he had to stay alive. He was damaged, hurt, and worst of all, _alone_.

Her eyes softened as she thought, and she was too distracted by her thoughts to notice his gaze lingering on her lips. He’d taken an interest to her relatively quickly once she’d started traveling with The Doctor. She wasn’t like the humans he usually paraded around with, all wide-eyed and amazed by the smallest things. No, she was brilliant, clever, witty, and didn’t constantly look at The Doctor like he was the only important person in existence. She asked the questions he didn’t want to answer, she did what she knew was right despite his commands, and she stood up for herself as well any anyone else she thought he was hurting. 

The Master was aware that he was the subject of many arguments between Y/N and her fair-haired friend, often arguing about The Doctor’s treatment of him. She’d stepped between the two of them more times than he could remember, and each time, she was defending him. He wasn’t entirely sure why, but as his eyes flicked back up to look at hers, he could tell. She cared for him, and he caught himself admitting for the first time that _he cared for her, too_. 

He’d been so determined to win this little game that she had suggested, but none of that mattered now. His eyes went to her lips one more time, before he slowly moved his face closer to hers, pressing his lips against hers. For a split second, she felt pride in having called him on his bluff, but that was quickly drowned out by the realization that _he was **kissing** her_. It was softer than she could’ve ever expected from him, his lips barely even putting any pressure on hers. If she didn’t know him better, she would’ve thought he was _nervous_. She felt one of his hands come up to cup her cheek, part of her mind noting that he wasn’t wearing his gloves. She melted into his touch, and she could feel the tension in the man in front of her begin to relax as well. Before she could get too comfortable, he pulled away, dropping his hand from her cheek.

“I should take you back to The Doctor. He’ll be worried,” He remarked quickly, before moving her to the side. She let him move her this time but looked at him sadly. It took him a few moments to notice the expression and looked at her quizzically once he did.

“What’s wrong?” He asked, but she shook her head. He sighed, before pressing a button to stop the TARDIS’s flight. He walked back over to her, not standing as close as he had before, but still within arms’ reach.

“No, tell me.” She swallowed, before letting her watery eyes meet his.

“You’re so used to being alone. Why don’t you let people stay?” This caused the surprised look from earlier to reappear on his face, but he didn’t look away.

“It’s easier to leave than to _be_ left,” He answered, his voice softer than she’d ever heard it. She didn’t think she’d ever seen him so openly vulnerable, and it broke her hearts. She took a step towards him, cupping his face in her hand as he’d done to her earlier.

“Why do you think I’d leave?” She questioned him, brushing her thumb along his cheek.

“Why wouldn’t you?” He asked back. She paused for a moment before a sad smile spread across her face.

“Because, if you’ll believe it, I think I love you,” she answered softly, before wrapping her arms around him, hugging him tightly. She felt his entire body freeze, but it soon relaxed as his arms came to wrap around her smaller frame. They stayed like that for several moments, Y/N able to hear his heartbeats through the soft velvet of his tunic. One of his hands came up to brush through her hair, holding her close to him.

“I love you, too.” He breathed out, and though Y/N couldn’t see it from her position, and despite the fact that she’d never seen him do it before, she knew that he was _smiling_.


End file.
